1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a manufactured article or a carrier adapted to be electronically tracked by an electronic tracer means.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to be able to track articles such as packagings or products, it is known to apply an electronic tag, also known as an electronic identifier, of the contactless type to one of their walls. The tag may be fixed to the article by adhesion, riveting, etc., but this solution is unsatisfactory. Dirt is able to infiltrate between the tag and the wall, making it difficult to clean the article. In addition, the tag has to be wrapped in a protective casing or housing. This increases the number of components to be assembled and the production costs of the packaging.
The tag may also be incorporated in the packaging.
In the field of logistics, more particularly plastics packagings for handling, such as crates and pallets, it is known to mould the article round the electronic tag.
The electronic tag of the contactless type is composed of an integrated circuit comprising, in particular, a memory which stores identification information for the packaging and for an antenna which is electrically connected to the integrated circuit so that it may communicate remotely with a suitable read and/or write device.
Communication is achieved in a known manner by remote electromagnetic coupling between the integrated circuit and the read and/or write device. The frequency of the electromagnetic field is generally within the radio frequency range so the method of communication is also known as radio-frequency communication.
Communication may be carried out in read mode or in read/write mode.
In the first case, the identifier comprises information which enables the packaging to be identified and may only be read by a suitable device. The advance of the packaging may therefore be followed by reading devices arranged in succession on its path.
In the second case, the information stored by the identifier may be read and modified.
It is thus possible to modify the information stored in the memory of the identifier, for example as a function of the progress of the packaging and/or of the product which it contains.
The electronic identifier does not generally have its own energy source so it is supplied remotely by the read/write device.
For this purpose, the read/write device emits a beam of energy in the form of an alternating magnetic field which is received by the antenna.
The maximum reading distance of the identifier depends on the power of the energy beam emitted by the read/write device and the dimensions of the antenna.
There are standards which limit the power of energy emitted by the read/write device. In Europe, the most widely used frequency is 13.56 MHz and, in this case, the power emitted may not exceed 1 watt. Therefore to increase the reading/writing distance of the identifier, it is necessary to increase the dimensions of the antenna.
The antenna may have the form of a plane spiral winding of a narrow electrical conductive element such as a strip of copper.
By way of example, a square plane antenna having sides of 20 mm enables the integrated circuit to communicate with a read/write device having a frequency of 13.56 MHz at a distance of 200 mm.
The antenna and its electrical connection to the associated integrated circuit are fragile. For the over-moulding of plastics material, the identifier has to be wrapped during the injection stage so as to resist high temperature and pressure.
A process for wrapping an identifier is disclosed in the document FR-A-97.03456. It mainly involves fixing the plane face of the tag formed by the antenna on a plastics material substrate which is stuck in the mould prior to injection. The substrate enables the tag to be positioned inside the wall of the injected article and enables the strength of the antenna and its connection to the integrated circuit to be increased. The cost for wrapping is high and the identifier is still fragile.
A wrapper of this type increases the bulk of the identifier.
The electronic identifier may not be arranged in certain zones of the packaging having dimensions which are smaller than those of the wrapped identifier. It is therefore impossible to incorporate an electronic identifier in a tag holder (in particular a xe2x80x9cGaliaxe2x80x9d type tag holder) intended to be applied to the packaging, because it does not have a sufficiently large zone to receive the wrapped identifier.
In addition the identifier must be arranged in a zone of the packaging which is sufficiently rigid to prevent deformation of said zone from stressing the identifier in such a way as to break the antenna or its connection to the integrated circuit.
The antenna can also consist of a coil which is wrapped by the integrated circuit in a cylindrical bulb.
To increase the maximum reading distance, it is necessary to increase the dimensions of the coil. This poses a problem if the identifier is to be incorporated in a thin zone of the packaging because the diameter of the identifier has to remain smaller than the thickness of the thin zone. In addition, the cost of the wrapping is high as in the previous case.
To overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, an object of the invention is an electronically trackable carrier made of a material, having an external surface and an interior, the carrier comprising:
an electronic tracer means (also called electronic identifier) comprising an integrated electronic circuit and a first antenna connected thereto, the first antenna being adapted to operate as at least one of a signal receiver and a signal transmitter, for respectively receiving and emitting a signal, said signal having a predetermined range,
a non-embedded, wireless second antenna adapted to operate a wireless communication with the electronic tracer means and located apart from the interior of the material, for defining a signal relay adapted for enlarging the range of the signal.
According to preferred additional features, the carrier is advantageously made of plastic material, the electronic identifier is able to exchange data with a read and/or write device which is spaced at a maximum by a first predetermined communication distance from the electronic identifier, and the second antenna (which is able to communicate without electric contact, in particular with the identifier) is arranged at a distance smaller than or equal to the first predetermined distance of the identifier so as to increase said first predetermined distance to a second maximum distance for exchange of data between the identifier and the read and/or write device.
According to further characteristics of the invention:
the antenna is applied to a face of the portion in which the electronic identifier is incorporated;
the second antenna is printed on the external surface of the material, viz the antenna is imprinted on a face of the portion in which the electronic identifier is incorporated;
the second antenna is stuck to the external surface of the plastic material, viz is stuck on a face of the portion in which the electronic identifier is incorporated;
the antenna is carried by an additional element applied to the portion in which the electronic identifier is incorporated;
the additional element is a tag (also called label);
the carrier has a wall, and
the electronic tracer means is embedded in said wall, within the interior of the material.
the carrier is one of the following handling means: a plastic crate, a plastic pallet, a bottle rack, a plastic bin, a plastic basket, a container;
the wall externally defines at least a zone of said external surface,
the carrier is provided with a label comprising the second antenna, the label being disposed adjacent to said external surface defined by the wall, and
the carrier comprises a label holder (also called tag holder) attached to the wall of the carrier and having an opening adapted for receiving the label in the label holder;
the carrier further comprises an additional element, provided with the second antenna, the additional element being disposed on said external surface.
the label holder is removably attached to the wall.
the label holder is permanently attached to the wall.
the additional element is a stuck label (or stuck tag).
According to a further object, the invention is also related to an element for a carrier member, for defining an assembly adapted to be electronically trackable by an electronic identifier located apart from the assembly, the element being made of a material having an external surface and an interior, the element comprising, in said interior, an electronic tracer means comprising an integrated electronic circuit and a first antenna connected thereto, the first antenna being adapted to operate as at least one of a signal receiver and a signal transmitter, for respectively receiving and emitting a signal, said signal having a predetermined range, the assembly comprising a wireless second antenna adapted to operate a wireless communication with the electronic tracer means and located apart from the interior material of the element, for defining a signal relay adapted for enlarging the range of the signal, so that the electronic tracer means communicate through the signal, within said enlarged range, with the electronic identifier.
According to such an approach, it is furthermore advise that:
the carrier member is one of the following handling member: a plastic crate, a plastic pallet, a bottle rack, a plastic bin, a plastic basket, a container,
the element is attached to the carrier member, and
the second antenna is located adjacent the first antenna.
the carrier member is a plastic crate, having a bottom wall and lateral walls,
the material is a plastic material,
the electronic tracer means is embedded in said plastic material, and
the element is a label holder attached to one of the lateral walls of the plastic crate.
The invention also proposes a method of producing a trackable article of the aforementioned type, characterised in that the electronic identifier is incorporated in a portion of the device during a stage of moulding, in that the article is demoulded then in that the second antenna is arranged on the article at a distance smaller than or equal to the first predetermined distance of the identifier.
According to a further characteristic of the method, prior to the moulding stage, the electronic identifier is wrapped to facilitate handling thereof.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings.